The Six Stages of Change
by di-elle
Summary: You did what?" Ian Murray stared incredulously at his wife Janet. "I made him a profile on " - Modern AU inspired by the "Jamie and Claire online dating profile" interview.
1. Precontemplation

_A/N I know DG stands on fanfic and I couldn't care less. Do not bother and really, people should stop harassing those who post fics._

 **1\. Precontemplation**  
 _ **Characteristic: Denial**_ _  
_ _ **Strategy: Encourage the individual to rethink their behaviour**_

"You need to get back in the saddle, Claire" Geillis Duncan smiled at the waiter filling up the glasses "leave the bottle, we are going to get wasted tonight!"

"Geillis! I'm really tired, and I've told you…." but she had already paid and the waiter went away.

"Oh come on, Claire, loosen up!"

Geillis sipped her whiskey and prepared herself mentally. Claire Beauchamp was her best friend despite their different ideas about life, work and how to have fun: it was Friday night and she almost had to drag her in that bar after her turn at the hospital!

"I'm very worried about you, Claire. Since you've broke up with Frank, you've been only work work work! This ends now! And _Blank_ wasn't the right man for you anyway"

"Don't call him that. You never liked him, Geillis. Just because he is a professor, it doesn't mean he is boring"

"Claire, he forced you to watch History Channel on Saturday night!"

"Yes, but ..."

"... and every time you'd visit your uncle, they would bury themselves in his library for hours, leaving you alone ..."

"It's true but uncle Lamb ..."

"... and then he cheated on you with his assistant!"

"What?"

"Whoops! Sorry Claire, I thought you knew! "

"Son of a bitch! And he accused me of flirting with my patients! "

Geillis smiled slyly, while Claire guzzled down the remaining whiskey and filled her glass again, insulting Frank in between sips. Soon she would be completely drunk and the fun would start.

Pushing Claire was so easy.


	2. Contemplation

**2\. Contemplation**  
 ** _Characteristic: Conflicted emotion_**  
 ** _Strategy: Identify barriers to change_**

"You did what?" Ian Murray stared incredulously at his wife Janet.

"I made him a profile on " Janet continued to knead the bread, making sure that her son didn't get the flour all over himself.

"What?"

"It's a dating website for lovers of country life. It's perfect for him."

"Are you out of your mind, Jenny? Why do you need to meddle in his life?"

Jenny gave her son a _small amount_ of _dough_ to play with, covered the rest to let it leaven, and, cleaned her hands, turned on the computer. A smiling photo of her brother Jamie appeared on the screen.

"You've seen him around wee Jamie and the other kids. He needs to start his own family, not live vicariously thought ours"

"To me he seems happy enough, directing the farm and breeding the horses"

"Spending all his time with horses, what kind of life is that? He needs a woman, and if he is too stubborn to find one, I'll do it for him"

With few quick clicks she opened _Hot Healer_ 's profile and showed it to her husband.

"Look, she's a doctor, she's a bit older than him, but her profile says she is looking for a man strong enough to deal with a strong woman, and that's the only way to deal with Jamie's thickhead"

"You Frasers and your stubbornness will be the death of me" Ian muttered. "Your brother needs time to recover..."

"Jamie needs a challenge! He needs to stop sulking over something that happened years ago. The accident wasn't his fault, and damn that French girl for breaking his heart and making him feel ashamed for the scars he got for saving her life! _Strìopaich na Galla!_ " ("Fucking bitch!")

Little Jamie looked up from the dough he was playing with and asked "What does _Strìopaich na Galla_ means, ma?"


	3. Preparation

**3\. Preparation**  
 ** _Characteristic: Collecting information about change_**  
 _ **Strategy: Prepare a plan of action**_

"What about this one?"

Geillis scrolled the app on her phone

" _Highlander, horseman, adventurer, lover_ – oooh he's a cheeky one, I like it – He loves horses and his ideal first date is a picnic, like you! Aren't you curious to know why his nickname is Big Ginge?"

Taking advantage of a drunk Claire to create an online profile had been easy, persuading a sober Claire to go on a date was proving more difficult than expected.

"Geillis, had you not changed the password, I would have deleted that profile, and you know it!"

Claire ignored the phone aimed at her, and Geillis had no choice but to follow her in the waiting room of the nursing home where they did voluntary work once a month.

"Oh Good Morning, Mrs. Dee, how are you today?"

Claire bent down to greet the old lady who answered with a haughty "As a prisoner, that's how I feel. Me! In a nursing home!"

Geillis and Claire looked at each other in amusement as Mrs. Dee went on with her usual tirade about her ungrateful sons.

"Oh come on, Dee, shut up! We are tired of hearing your whining!" Tracie, the other old lady in the room, cut off Mrs Dee rambling.

"How are you, Doc? I've been told you got rid of that boring boyfriend of yours! Well done! Who needs men anyway?" and pointed at the shirt with the words 'Girl power' she was wearing.

Claire laughed "Tell that to Geillis! She is the one trying to arrange a blind date for me, through an online dating service, no less!"

"Really? Online dating services? That's how you kids do it these days?" Mrs Dee stopped in the middle of her rant. "That's preposterous! In the good ol' days such nonsense didn't exist. You wanted a man, you simply went there and took him, like I did with my poor Jack, may his soul rest in peace"

"Poor John indeed" whispered Tracie, and added louder with her usual bluntness "She doesn't need a man, and if I was 30 years younger I'll certainly show her! But if Doc has to go on a date, at least he must be worthy. Come here! Let me see, Geillis!"

Geillis obliged showing the old lady the phone. "He seems nice enough. And adding a pic of him with that cute irish setter was smart move. What do you think, Dee?"

Mrs Dee looked at the phone and exclaimed "This guy looks grotesque, what are you thinking?"


	4. Action

**4\. Action**  
 ** _Characteristic: Taking a direct action_**  
 _ **Strategy: Seek out social support**_

Jamie had noticed her the moment she had crossed the threshold of the Royal Highland Show stables. He had watched her approach, chatting and laughing with her friend. Bonnie, one of his mares, swerved, causing her to lose her balance.

"I'm sorry" He apologized, helping her up, but she laughed.

"Don't worry, nothing happened! I'm sure this beauty didn't do it on purpose."

"It's Bonnie first time in a crowd and she is a bit nervous, but until now has behaved very well," he said with pride.

"Did we scare you, Bonnie? My, aren't you a pretty girl, indeed"

They reached out to stroke the animal's neck at the same time, and the instant their hands had touched, he felt something, like a shock. Judging by the expression on her face, it had been mutual. He didn't know how long they remained there, looking into each other eyes, their hands joined in Bonnie's fur. Just a few seconds, probably, before Murtagh, his most faithful collaborator, would break the spell.

"Jamie! Jamie, the jumping show starts in 20 minutes, hurry up!"

She had withdrawn her hand, regaining her composure, "Good luck, Jamie!" And with a radiant smile, joined her friend chatting with his sister at the entrance, going away before he could ask her name.

He found himself thinking about the lovely brunette several times during the day. There was something about her... maybe her English accent, or her crystalline laugh, or even the way her smile lit up her eyes...  
Less than 24 hours before, he had assured his sister that no, he didn't need a woman, and turned down her offer to arrange a blind date for him. If she knew that now he was daydreaming about a woman, he would never hear the end of it. Not that he would ever admit it, but perhaps she was right.


	5. Maintenance

**5\. Maintenance**  
 ** _Characteristic: Maintaining a new behaviour_**  
 _ **Strategy: Replace old habits with more positive actions**_

Fraser's Farm kitchen was deserted when Claire stepped in, and she was grateful. The _Samhain Ceilidh_ , hosted in the farm's 18th century barn the night before, had been fun, despite her pathetic attempts at the traditional dance. Probably she shouldn't have drunk so much, but Jamie and his cousins had assured her that was the proper Scottish way to celebrate Halloween, and who was she to question them?

" _Madainn mhath_ , Claire, ready for our ride?" Jamie embraced her from behind and stamped a kiss on her neck.

"I'm barely able to stand, riding is not an option. You've drunk more than me, why am I hungover and you're not? "

She turned into his embrace, his hands firmly on her bottom now.

"I've told you, I'm a Scot, whiskey runs through our veins" he deposited a small kiss where her neck met her chin.

"I've stitched you up just few weeks ago, and what is in your veins is very much blood"

Claire idly caressed his side, where the superficial wound was.

"Tell me, Doctor Beauchamp, care to guess where all my blood is running now?"

With a move she has became very familiar with in the past months, Jamie kissed her passionately and settled her on the table, his powerful body between her legs. Then his mouth detoured south, making his intention clear.

"Jamie, don't…" Claire hoped her protestation didn't sound as weak as she thought. The sounds of a door slamming, a dog barking, and child giggles approaching, registered in her passion clouded mind.

"Jamie, stop!" She pulled hard his red hair, but it was like trying to move a mountain. "Jamie, please! Your nephew…"

"You're the one always singing the praises of a full English breakfast, doctor… " She could hear the laugh in his voice. The bastard! Claire doubled her efforts, and finally he relented, standing up right before Little Jamie entrance.

"Your mother would skelp us both, Jamie, if she'd discover Ruah in the kitchen" he said without looking at his nephew. He gave her one last kiss, winked at her, grabbed the dog by the collar and walked out, leaving her with the kid.

Little Jamie munched a bannock and looked at her thoughtfully.

"Uncle Jamie kissed you. Ma says that's what married people do. Are you going to be my auntie, doc Claire?"


	6. Termination

**6\. Termination**  
 ** _Characteristic: The desired change has been accomplished_**  
 _ **Strategy: Reaffirm your commitment**_

 _\- success story section:_  
 _Happy country couples who have met on muddmatches, share your story here!_

We've definitely found our soul mates…

Just an heads up to let you know that we have cancelled our membership, we got engaged in November after 6 months together and are planning our wedding for Beltane.

A few months ago, our friends and family decided to use your website to help us meet someone, and conspired to bring us together. We have forgiven them, because it worked. So Geillis, we owe you one for ditching Claire in the middle of the Royal Highland Show, and Jenny, thank you for knowing Jamie would come to the rescue like a knight in shining armour, you can now both stop bragging about it.

Even if technically we didn't met through muddmatches, if not for your site, we would probably never have met. It must have been fate! We've definitely found our soul mates, we couldn't be happier. We cannot believe how lucky we are.

A massive thank you for bringing us together!

Claire and Jamie 


End file.
